Half to geoege w



(No Model.)

WITNESSES T. .J. MILLER.

BROADCAST SEED SOWER.

Patented Peb.- 16, 1886.

A/VEA/TOR By Attorney N. PETERS Plwlu-Lllhugnpher. Washin ton. 0.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

THOMAS J. MILLER, OF NORTH MANCHESTER, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALFTO GEORGE IV. HENRY, OF SAME PLACE.

BROADCAST SEED-SOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,421, dated February16, 1886.

Application filed October 14, 1885. Serial No. 179,849. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Manchester, in the county of \Vabash and State ofIndiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in BroadcastSeed- Sowers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Figure 1 is a section taken vertically and centrally through themachine, with the wellknown hopper-sack for containing the seed removed.Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lefthand side of the machine, showing thead justable gage and indicator for the shut-off slide. Fig. 3 is abottom view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a top view in detail of the ribbedagitator and shut-off gage.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in that class ofbroadcast seedsowers wherein a ribbed rotary wheel is employed forscattering the seed by centrifugal action, which improvements will befully on derstood from the following description, when taken inconnection with the annexed drawings.

The main frame A consists of the angular top board, A, two side pieces,A A shaped like sled-runners, and two cross-pieces, AA as shown in theannexed drawings. To the edges of the top board, A, the seed-sack willin practice be suitably secured. Near one end of said top board is therectangular throat, through which the seed pass from the sack to thescattering-wheel B. This throat is lined with a metal frame, 0, rigidlysecured in place, and having its upper edges scored to correspond to theinclined depressions a, leadinginto it. At the bottom of the frameO aretwo movable plates, which slide in guides 12 b, secured to the bot-tomof the top board, A.

The plate D, I denominate the agitator. It is a narrow plate having ribs0 on its upper side and seed-passages in its rear edge. It receivesendwise motion in a direction transversely with respect to the length ofthe machine by means of an eccentric, d, on the spindle d, which passesthrough the hub B of the scattering-wheel B, which eccentric plays in anoblong slot, 6, through a front offset of the ribbed agitator D. I thusprevent the seed from clogging the throat of the ma chine.

' 35 The plate-E, I denominate the shut-off to form a handle, E, bymeans of which the attendant can conveniently draw the plate E backward.This plate is forced forward by means of a spiral spring, 9, and it isprevented from displacement on the stapleguide f by means of lugs h.

F designates a slotted slide-gage, which is applied on the left-handside of the side piece, A and provided with a thumbscrew, i, for rigidlyfixing it when properly adjusted. This gage is reversible, and it isconstructed with hooked pointers designed to point at gage-marks on theface of. the side piece, A which marks indicate the capacity of theoutlet for the seed between the plates D and E. The gage F isconstructed with stops is Z, as shown, and a notch Z. If the notched endof this gage is forward, the handle E is held in the notch Z, and theplate E is adjusted and fixed by moving the gage F and tightening screw73. attendant adjusts the plate E by hand only so far back as he has setthe gage, the spring g moving the said plate forward when the attendantreleases the handle E".

If the stop-shonlderZis forward, the

The lower end of the spindle d of the wheel 0 B has its bearing in abracket, G, secured to the arms of the side pieces, A A and the upperend of this spindle is journaled in a bearing, m, fixed into the bottomof the board A.

The wheel B consists of a circular dished portion, a, re-enforced by anannular depressed flange, n, and provided with a series of radial ribs,1), suitably secured to the dished surface of the circular portion n,and each one constructed of a single piece of metal bent so as to leavethe rib of double thickness and 2 steam the base-flanges of a singlethickness of metal. A scattering-wheel thus constructed is "cry rigid,and at the same time light.

In rear of wheel B is a curved seed-guard,

sH, for preventing the seed from being thrown IO by hand, passes freelythrough flanged tubes K K, which are endwise movable through the arms ofthe side pieces, A A and between which tubes is compressed a helicalspring, S, the opposite ends of which bear 1; against the inner flanges,x x, of the tubes K K, and serve to force the tubes outwardly to receivethe shock of either end of the rod J, and also for the purpose ofalfording an easy regular movement of the bow and scattering- 20 wheel.

In practice I prefer to bush with metal the bearings for the flangedtubes K K, to prevent rapid wear.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of the frameA, throated, as described, the scattering-wheel, the bow and cord, theribbed agitator and actuating mechanism, and the plate E, its angulararm, spring, staple-guide, and slotted gage provided with a thumb-screwand gage-marks, the whole constructed and combined as shown anddescribed.

2. In the broadcast seed-sower described, the combination of thespring-actuated bow, its movable flanged tubes, and seed-scatteringwheel, as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. MILLER. \Vitnesses:

J. M. BURDGE,

O. BURDGE,

